Street photography at night - What I look for on a photo walk

One might say night time photography is a completely different genre compared to the daylight one. Light sources are very different, as well as colors, and you can't use the camera the same way. Particularly in street photography phishing technique yields much better results than walking around constantly. Instead of subjects, focus is on the quality of light, shadows and silhouettes, and composition. Let me show you in the examples below that were made few nights ago what I look for when night-walking.

Let's start with the first shot - it was raining as you will see, so the reflections on the concrete are vibrant. As I was passing by this sideways alley I noticed the strong, orange/red rear lights on the parked vehicle and men gathered around it. In a narrow space, it reflected off of the side buildings creating a very pleasant scene. It is emphasized more by the cold blue light in the background. I took three shots before the signal lights turned of.

I've been camping in this spot occasionally but still haven't made the shot as I imagined it could be. The black and white square tiles are interesting, as well as the combination of green and purple light. I just haven't found the perfect angle and subject. Not many people pass through here which makes it harder.

On my way to evening Tai Chi class I take a tram if I'm not going on foot. Usually they are crowded but this time I had plenty of space to try different compositions. Empty trams, especially the old ones, at night can look very pretty. Shiny metallic bars, uniform seats and traffic lights outside make for an interesting combination.

Main pedestrian street of Knez Mihailo, lamp posts are reflected on the wet pavement and light from the stores is coming in from the side, putting passers-by in the spotlight. You can see in the second photo red light from inside the building reflected on the girl's face which makes her stand out.

The first girl had an interesting outfit, I kind of wish she didn't look at her phone. I wonder if the scenes would be prettier with the Christmas decoration lights turned on, usually it is all lit in this time of year.

Here the bus is preparing to start driving its route and it's looking directly towards the sidewalk. You can see how the falling rain is emphasized in front of the lights, as well as the subjects walking past. I was lucky that this guy walked right across the street in front of it. A strong contrast scene and the backlight is creating a halo effect around the subject.

---

Just two random shots with light coming from different angles.

The second photo is right in front my home as I was heading back. It's to have your camera ready at all times so you don't miss interesting moments. You can see the lens was wet (both the camera and the lens are supposed to be weather sealed), which created an interesting effect with the lamp post.

Last photo is at the bus station. Another instance where the scene is backlit - the car light is coming through the subjects and into the camera. I position myself purposefully this way. It creates interesting silhouettes and reflections on the glass. I was standing there for about 3 minutes before I had to go - a bit more time possibly could have gave me a better layout of the subjects.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the photos and my little breakdown of them. Until next time.